[Snake Jenkins]

Who makes the Weatherby SXS's? and are they any good quality wise?

Snake

[PJR]

I hope Dave won't mind if I step up to the plate.

Weatherby sxs are made by Hermanos Zabala in Eibar, Spain. Zabala also makes the lower priced sxs sold under the Charles Daly brand. The higher grade Daly sxs are made by Grulla Armas.

Zabala makes a lot of different guns and they are sometimes seen on this side of the ocean under their own name but are more common in Europe than here. The few that I've seen seemed like solid enough guns although there was a Zabala sidelock I recall that was lovely on the outside but inside it was not terribly well finished.

Here's a website: http://www.zabalahermanos.com/

As for the quality, it tends to with Spanish guns relate to price. AyA and Ugartechea boxlocks are selling in the $2,000 and up range and I don't know what Weatherby is charging nor have I examined one of their guns. Weatherby should however be expected to stand by its products if there is a problem. I would be cautious about any Spanish gun that comes with a single trigger besides a sxs needs to have double triggers IMHO.

I own a mid-grade Spanish sxs from one of the better known makers. It's not perfect but it was far less expensive than buying a comparable English or Italian gun and it has performed very reliably in the field. The Spaniards are working very hard to lose the reputation for poor quality guns that they rightfully earned in the 60's and 70's when importers were bringing in large quantities of guns and demanding a very low price point. All Spanish guns must undergo proof testing at a standard that is acceptable within the European common market.

Are the Weatherby sxs showing up on any dealer's shelves these days? I haven't seen any but I am somewhat off the beaten path for such things.

Paul

[Snake Jenkins]

I haven't seen any here, but several dealer's show them in their books.
I like shooting SXS's and was wanting a good one that has screw in chokes, and is steel shot approved.

Snake

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks Paul, that's more than I knew. I've heard little about the SxS, I know the O/U was made in Japan by Miroku and may still be made there.

Older Spanish guns had widely varying quality, some had very soft steel parts that were well machined but wore very quickly. Newer ones seem not to earn those gripes. I've seen some AyA guns and coveted them instantly. They seem to shoot nice too.

Weatherby has never had a QC problem, TTBOMK. If the shotgun speaks to you, it should hold up well and be useful for a lifetime.

[PJR]

Dave:

BTW, current Weatherby shotguns are made by SKB, another Japanese company. It puzzles me that Weatherby didn't just get their sxs from SKB as well given that they do make one.

I have a small fascination with Spanish shotguns having visited Eibar a couple of times with a friend who is in the gun business. Great experience although Eibar where most of the makers are located and Elgoibar (home of Arrieta and Kemen) aren't garden spots by any stretch of the imagination. San Sebastian, just a few miles down the tollway, is however one of the jewels of European cities. The Basque country of Spain is one of the magnificent and largely undiscovered parts of the world. I am keen to go back their to visit friends and enjoy the wine and cuisine but there are other current priorities.

Snake:

If you want a good sxs with screw in chokes that is steel compatible you have some choices other than waiting for Weatherby. You can wait until the Ruger Gold Label hits the market (if it ever hits the market), dig a little deeper and buy a Beretta 470 or consider SKB.

Here's where you can learn more about SKB sxs.

http://www.skbshotguns.com/Side%20by%20Sides.htm

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for the correction, Paul. After some bad experiences with LLama handguns, I stayed away from Spanish stuff. Nice to hear things have improved.

[Snake Jenkins]

Guys I appreciate the info.
The only thing I don't like about the Gold Label is the fact that it has a SS frame (for ducks I want a blued frame or a matte frame). Finding an SKB (around here ) is like finding as four leaf clover. I've been looking for a Beretta 626 onyx for about 7 years now with no luck. To me the Beretta is what a duck gun should be like IMHO.

Snake